青森 Aomori Aomori prefecture is on the northern tip of Honshu, Japan’s largest island. Surrounded by sea on three sides, the prefecture is known for its beautiful scenery, excellent agricultural produce and festivals attracting many visitors. The capital of Aomori is Aomori City, an important fishing and shipping centre since the 17th century. Today it has a population of just over 300,000 people, and it is the administrative centre and a major cultural hub of the prefecture. The Oirase River (Oirase-gawa) is famous for its beautiful forests While industry has developed around Hachinohe city in and ravines. The water moves rapidly from its source, Lake Towada, the prefecture’s east, agriculture has long been the to release into the Pacific Ocean. The stretch of river known as mainstay of the prefecture’s economy. Indeed Aomori is Oirase Gorge just below Lake Towada is a major attraction. one of Japan’s premier agricultural areas. Apples are arguably its best Sannai-Maruyama village ruins are known product; the prefecture is the top producer in Japan and produces Japan’s largest ruins from the Jomon approximately half of all Japan’s apples. Quality is high and perfection Period (about 10,500 to 300 BCE). The sought! Leaves are removed from trees and fruit rotated to ensure evenly village is estimated to date from 4,000 reddened apples. Fruits are also bagged to protect against insects. [See to 5,500 years ago. Much of the site

www.umai-aomori.jp/english/ was reburied to preserve it, however, index.phtml for more.] several sites have been reconstructed [see image p.7]. The Sannai-Maruyama The prefecture’s name means ruins show that construction techniques green forest* and certainly it is were much more advanced at the time blessed with a wonderful than had previously been believed. The natural environment. The Ou ruins lie just under 30 minutes by bus Mountains divide the prefecture from Aomori train station. in two, with cold and snowy winters on the Japan Sea side Many Japanese visit Aomori in summer and milder weather to the east to see the famous Nebuta Festival in facing the Pacific Ocean. Since Aomori City and Neputa Festival in 1993 the Shirakami Mountains Hirosaki City. Both feature spectacular in Aomori and neighbouring floats—huge paper lanterns which are Akita prefectures have been a intricately painted and formed. The World Heritage Natural Site. floats come alive as the sun goes down Here you can find the world’s and they are lit from within. The one largest virgin forest of beech depicted left is from Hirosaki’s Neputa trees. This ancient landscape Festival. Hirosaki Castle is famous for provides important habitats for its beautiful cherry blossom festival with many plants and animals. some 2,600 trees in the castle grounds. It seems that people have long Aomori is now even closer for been attracted to the area. As travellers by train. In December 2010 Aomori is relatively sparsely the last stretch of the Tohoku populated, it is easy to think Shinkansen was open for regular that the area may have been services. Now it is possible to travel only more recently developed. from central Tokyo to Aomori city in 3 In fact Aomori prefecture hours and 15 minutes, and it will be 10 boasts some highly significant minutes faster from this March. archaeological remains. The

* In Aomori they often refer to the ‘Blue Forests’ of Aomori. From the picture of the beautifully green forest along the Oirase Gorge above, you can see the forests are definitely green. In Japanese ‘ao’ means blue or green.

Aomori Official Tourist Information http://en.aptinet.jp/index.html

The Japan National Tourist Organisation website has good information on Aomori Prefecture and its major sights: www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/aomori/index.html. ALL IMAGES: © Aomori Prefecture/ © JNTO panpage REPORTS eight JapanSUMMER REPORTS 2010-2011 Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS